this is my first fanfiction, sorry about my mistakes. hinata has grown strong but has stopped waiting for naruto, so she thought. please review. DISCONTINUED! sorry but i lost where i was going since i haven't been working on it. again i'm really sorry about this to whoever even remembers this.

a/n: thank you so much for reviewing. here's a new chapter i hope you enjoy. and if you haven't already please check out my oneshot that i posted titled Concrete Angel. it's a sonfic if you were wondering.

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Two months had passed since Hinata had come back and her eyes were just now fully healed so she could see everything and be a kunoichi again. While walking home from the hospital she walked into Naruto and said "I'm sorry. I didn't see you there."

"It's fine, how are your eyes?" Naruto asked seeing that her bandages are gone.

"Sakura said that they are finally fully healed but I'm not supposed to use my byakugan for a week or two in case something goes wrong. I'm just glad that I have my eyes back to normal, or at least close to normal. I'll see you later Naruto."

"I'm glad that you're fine now. Before you go, do you want to get some ramen with me? Not as a date or anything. Just a bowl between two friends, I swear." Naruto said quickly, hoping that she understood that he was giving her space.

"Sure, I guess we could but maybe tomorrow? I told my father that I was going to head by his office as soon as I was done at the hospital. I'm sorry but I have to go now. Bye." Hinata said before rushing toward her house. 'I really hope that Naruto isn't mad at me, I just can't be alone with him without my heart pounding.' Hinata thought as she walked into her house.

"Just great, now she's avoiding me. She's fine with me and everyone else; I guess that she doesn't want to be alone with me."

"She's scared of her feelings for you, Naruto. Can't you see that?" Kiba said from behind Naruto. Kiba had come up and heard what Naruto said.

"Why would she be scared of her feelings? What have I done to scare her?"

"It's not what you've done; it's what she had hoped for that has her scared. I remember when you didn't notice that she liked you; she had always watched and looked up to you. Hinata had trained her hardest but she kept messing or giving up until a couple of days later when she tried again. One day she just gave up hoping that you would notice her so she tried to move on. I just don't think she can move on from you but she doesn't trust herself or you not to let her down."

"You must really know her inside and out. How long do you think she liked me?" Naruto asked wondering why he got over Sakura so fast when Hinata's been trying to get over him for five years and has failed.

"I'd say about twelve years. But I think that she'll come around soon, once she gets over her fear." After Kiba said that he headed in the direction of his house leaving Naruto thinking about some things that aren't right in his life.

During the next week, Naruto and Hinata got lunch about three times and Hinata trained with Kiba and Shino like when they were genin together. She was getting stronger without using her byakugan but once she was able to use it she creamed both of them with ease. It turns out that she had been practicing constantly at Yori's village in case that she had to battle a jinchûriki one day.

"I bet that you could beat Naruto at your level right now." Kiba said after one day of practice.

"I'm not so sure that I'm that strong yet. I don't really want to be protected like some weak little girl anymore and I also want to protect the people I love." Hinata said after considering what Kiba said the day before.

"I think you have achieved that quite nicely. Did you ever think about joining the anbu black ops? I bet that they could use someone with the byakugan."

"I agree and father has always hoped that I would be an anbu member so that I won't be a total waste of Hyuga blood and flesh." Hinata said remembering the conversation that she had with her father years ago.

"I don't think he sees you like that anymore. I'm really glad that you're back."

"I'm glad also, I missed everyone here. I just couldn't face my fear about coming back. I'll see you guys later." Hinata said while leaving from the practice field to meet Naruto at Ichiraku Ramen for dinner. They had been spending a lot of time together, reminding Hinata about why she fell in love with him. She also likes the fact that Naruto hasn't asked or pressured her about dating him again.

"Hey Naruto, how was your day so far?" Hinata asked when she saw him.

"It was okay except for all of my paperwork I had to do. How was training?"

"It's not as challenging as it used to be, I can beat Shino and Kiba easily, even when they come at me together with their best jutsus."

"Why don't you train with Neji or your sister? They would be able to help you with your gentle fist style. Did you ever think about that?" Naruto asked.

"No, why don't we eat some ramen before my father comes looking for me?" Hinata said while dragging him toward Ichiraku's, and after eating Naruto walked Hinata home.

As Hinata turned to leave, Naruto's hand grabbed hers to pull her closer to his chest where he hugged her close. When she was there she asked "What's going on? What did I do to deserve this?"

"You came back to Konoha and you don't hate me. I'm sorry if I did something wrong." He said uncertainly. Naruto didn't want what he had been building ruined again.

"Its fine, I don't mind you doing this." She said before hugging him back and leaning her head against his chest. After a couple of minutes she pulled back and went inside, once she was inside he smiled and thought 'I think she's finally coming around to thinking about dating me. Yes!' while Hinata was hyperventilating in her room thinking about how close she had been to kissing him. She realized that she was falling back in love with Naruto after spending about five years of getting over him. "This is just great…this had better not end the way it had the last time. I wonder when he'll ask me out or will he just assume that we're together again?"

The next day Hinata went to Kurenai's house to ask for some advice; when Hinata got there she saw that Kurenai was out. As she walked home she saw Shikamaru and Temari together, as if they were on a date or something. She smiled thinking how great it was that they had finally figured out what each of them felt about the other. Naruto walked up to her and asked "What are you smiling about?"

"I'm just happy that Shikamaru and Temari are finally dating. Don't you think it took them long enough? And what are you doing here?" Hinata said while turning toward the current Hokage.

"I finished my paperwork early and escaped from Shizune to walk around the village and visit the academy. And it didn't take nearly as long as it took me to ask you out that first time." Naruto said, while taking Hinata's hand and pulling her toward the edge of the road. Once they were in the shadows Naruto asked "How are you doing? And sorry about dragging you over here, I wanted to talk in private and away from some fan girls. They chase me all around the village and it is almost impossible to lose them."

"I'm fine with this; actually I'm really okay about this. I haven't had a chance to talk to you about something." Hinata said while dropping his hand.

"What do you want to talk about?" he asked, a little worried.

"I have been meaning to talk to you about me joining the anbu black ops. My father has always wanted me to join and lately I've been thinking that it would be just the challenge that I need." Hinata said in a rush, hoping that Naruto wouldn't argue.

"Are you sure about that? Anbu members get the toughest missions and the most dangerous ones."

"I'm sure; I've been training with father and Neji. I can beat Neji now when I was hopelessly behind him. I know all the dangers and I think that I'm ready to face them."

"I know that you are, sorry about that. I'm just worried about you. I'll see what I can do and I will get back to you later."

"Thank you so much! I'll see you later! Thank you!" Hinata said before kissing his cheek in farewell. Hinata felt a familiar blush on her cheeks as she walked down the street toward her house. When she walked into the Hyuga compound she was greeted by her cousin Neji.

"How are you Hinata? I haven't seen very much of you in the past week."

"I'm good, I've been training with Shino and Kiba but I've surpassed them so much that I defeated both of them without breaking a sweat."

"That's great, if you need someone to train with I'll help you out. We could practice gentle fist and rotation. Also I really want to see the jutsu you created." Neji said honestly.

"Sure, I can teach you that move if you want me to." Hinata said while smiling.

"That would be great. I'll see you later." Neji said before leaving to meet Tenten in town. When Neji left Hinata went to her room and thought about what she did when she said goodbye to Naruto. She didn't think that she would be ready to date him again for a long time.

While she was in her room thinking, Naruto was walking back to his office wondering why Hinata had kissed his cheek. He thought that Hinata didn't want to date him but why would she kiss him? Naruto needed to find out what was going on with her and the only way was to ask another girl, Sakura. She should know what is going on about Hinata.

"Well…how much time, have you two spent together?" Sakura asked when Naruto confronted her about Hinata.

"A lot of time but I haven't said anything about dating her. I've just been a friend to her and not a boyfriend. I just don't get why she kissed me."

"She might be falling for you again or that she was so happy that you would do that for her."

"I think that it might be the later reason and not the first. I'm not sure that she'll ever love me again but I'm okay with that as long as she is happy and here at the village." He said before he left to go to his office and work on his mountain of paperwork.

When he left, Sakura went to Sasuke's house to talk him into setting Naruto and Hinata up on a date because it was obvious that they both still love each other.

"Are you sure that we should interfere with this? It seems that they are doing just fine right now. Why do we need to get in the way when Hinata is showing signs that she's warming up to Naruto again?" Sasuke said after Sakura explained everything to him.

"Because I don't think that Hinata will be able to forgive Naruto fully and date him again; no matter how much she loves him. I can't stand see her sad or hurt when it's so easily fixed." Sakura said.

"But we might ruin this if we push her too hard, I say give it a month and if they're not dating then you can do whatever you want." Sasuke reasoned.

"Fine, I'll wait for a month before doing anything. I guess that I'll see you later, love you."

"L…love you too." Sasuke stuttered when Sakura leaned in and pecked his lips with hers. After she left Sasuke went to Naruto's office to warn him about what Sakura had in mind.

"She's going to do what? I can't believe that Sakura is thinking of doing this. Why didn't you talk her out of this?"

"I tried but you know how stubborn she can be. I'm sorry."

"Its fine but I'm trying to get Hinata to trust me again before asking her out. If Sakura does something wrong she could drive Hinata further away from me." Naruto said while walking across the room to stare out the window as if to see Hinata walking down the street. All he saw where his villagers laughing and talking to each other.

"I don't think that it's going to come to Sakura interfering with you two. From what I hear, Hinata is coming around again." Sasuke said slyly.

"I'm still a long away from being able to date her again. I have to complete all of this paperwork before tomorrow or Shizune will kill me." Naruto said, telling Sasuke that he needed to be alone for a while and that he was in trouble.

"I'll see you later about my mission. I hope that you and Hinata will end up together." Sasuke while leaving the room and walking into Hinata. "Sorry, I didn't see you there."

"It's okay; I probably shouldn't be running around a corner like that. Is Naruto in there? I need to talk to him." Hinata said in a rush. She wanted to ask Naruto if she was going to be an anbu black op.

"He's there but I suggest that you don't bother him, he's working on paperwork. I'm sure that he'll be done by tomorrow or Shizune is going to kill him." Sasuke explained.

"Okay, I'll see him tomorrow. Bye Sasuke." After Hinata said that she ran outside and to her house so that she could make it to train with Neji. Once she was there she saw that Neji was talking to her father about her skill with fighting.

"She's better than Hanabi and is better than me. Why do you keep saying that she's weak? She could probably beat you in a match."

"I don't think that she's weak I just don't think that she will make a good heir to the Hyuga clan. She's just not tough enough or emotionally distant enough to run our clan so I'm making Hanabi the heir and Hinata part of the branch." Hiashi said to Neji and he walked away. Hinata had hid from him as soon as he came near her so when he was gone she walked out to Neji.

"Hello Hinata. Is something wrong?" Neji asked when he saw her expression.

"Everyone thing is fine, could we start training?" Hinata asked hoping that it would distract her from what she had heard.

"Sure but did you hear what Lord Hiashi and I were talking about?"

"I heard the end of the conversation and I don't want to talk about it. I knew that father hated me I just didn't know how much."

"You do know that you'll get the caged bird mark on your forehead. I'm really sorry about this though." Neji said before standing in the Hyuga stance.

"I know this; I'm fine with it if it means that he'll stop hating me. And as long as I keep my byakugan I'm okay." Hinata said while also getting into the Hyuga stance.

Neji and Hinata trained for about four hours before taking a break and walking inside where Hinata saw her father. As she walked in he said "I need to talk to you Hinata. Alone."

"Yes sir, I'll see you later Neji."

"Okay, let's practice tomorrow around noon." Neji said as he was leaving.

Her father told Hinata about what he had discussed with Neji and the way to change that was to become stronger or be an anbu member. When she told him that she was working on that he said that if she made it she would be the heir again.

"Yes, sir, I will try my best. I'm sorry that I'm not strong enough."

"Make sure you do." Hiashi said as he walked away.

The next day Hinata went to see Naruto, as she walked in she saw that Naruto was near the window staring at the village. When she closed the door he turned around and asked "Why are you here Hinata? Is something wrong?"

"I'm fine I was just going to ask you about what you found out. Am I going to be an anbu member or do I have to tell my father no?" Hinata asked hesitantly hoping that she wouldn't have to get the caged bird curse.

"They are looking for a Hyuga but are you sure that you want to take it? It's very dangerous and you could die on any of the missions." Naruto said hoping that she would decline.

"Yes I'm sure; my father has been saying things that I need to follow."

"Has he threatened you in any way? What has he said to you?"

"If I'm not an anbu member he was going to give me the caged bird curse and remove me from the main branch into a lesser branch. Then Hanabi would be the heir to the Hyuga clan." Hinata murmured while looking away from Naruto. She didn't want him to see her tears about admitting this out loud.

"He said what? I can't believe that he would do that to you! Why?"

"Father thinks that I'm not going to be a good heir, I'm not tough enough or emotionally detached enough to run the Hyuga clan. Please don't get involved with Father; I can take care of myself. I'm sorry." Hinata said while tears ran freely down her face.

"All right, I won't do anything. I promise, and I'm sorry that your father thinks that. I'll notify you when you can acquire your equipment. Sorry." Naruto said while wiping her tears from her face and kissing her cheek after her tears were gone.

After he pulled away she wrapped her arms around his neck and hugged herself close to his chest, when she started to cry again Naruto's hands went to her waist. As she sobbed he kept saying "I'm sorry, I'm so sorry about this."

When Hinata stopped crying she pulled back and said "Thank you for that. I…I have to go home and tell Father that I'm an anbu black op member." Hinata said while wiping her face.

"I'll see you later. I'm so sorry about this." Naruto said, watching Hinata walk out of his office before turning back to his paperwork.

As Naruto tried to do his paperwork, Hinata was telling her father the news and when Hiashi heard this he smiled before saying that she was the heir again.

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